My Second Shopping Trip to Aldi – Another Success Story
As you might recall, I recently visited a local Aldi store to see what bargains I could find. I had been in the routine of shopping at Pick ‘n Save mostly because the store location was convenient, I could navigate the store quickly, and sometimes I could save more money by using double coupons during Double Daze. A trip to Aldi was long overdue. However, since it had been a long time since I stepped into an Aldi store, I was a little hesitant to turn my visit into a full blown shopping trip. I ended up buying just a handful of items. In my A Successful Shopping Trip to Aldi post I shared my finds and asked readers to give their suggestions for what I should buy (or avoid) in my next visit to Aldi. The response was fantastic! Between Facebook and the website we had 47 comments with a lot of great recommendations on what Aldi products I should consider buying on my next trip.
Armed with a ton of great ideas, I headed back to Aldi. This time my goal was to consider this as my weekly trip to the grocery store. Therefore, I ended up spending about $95 and buying many more items than my first trip. Some suggestions from readers that I followed:
- Kathy said “I really like their donut coffee which is much less expensive.” I took Kathy’s suggestion and bought a bag of their Donut Blend Coffee, which is clearly a Dunkin’ Donuts knockoff, for $4.49.
- A number of readers said they like to buy snacks at Aldi. I bought a few nine ounce boxes of Savoritz Cheese Crackers ($1.29) which are comparable to Cheez-Its, some Veggie Straws, and a bag of Multi-grain Tortilla Chips ($1.19). Perfect for kids lunches or snack time.
- Rose from Rose Knows Coupons suggested Aldi’s frozen Triple Berry Blend which consists of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. A 16 ounce bag cost me $2.99. Rose pointed out that the nice thing about this blend is that it is not filled with strawberries like the typical frozen berry blends. The blend was a hit in our household this morning when I used some berries in our pancakes and to make a smoothie. I’ll definitely stock up on this item on my next trip.
Once again, I scored an awesome deal on milk. A gallon cost $1.66. This is four cents more than my last trip. Thanks to all the reader comments, we learned that prices of milk (and some other items) vary from store to store. I did my shopping at the Aldi located in West Allis on Highway 100. Readers reported paying over $2 a gallon at other Milwaukee area Aldi stores, but all prices were still good values. Several readers questioned if milk at Aldi comes from cows treated with rBST. Aldi indicates that their farmers have pledged that their cows are free of artificial growth hormones
On my next trip I’m looking forward to looking for these deals that readers have suggested:
- Kathy G. said “You can’t go wrong with a $3 bouquet of fresh flowers.”
- Gail R. recommends buying chocolate at Aldi. She notes “Their chocolate is THE BEST!” She believes the Choceur brand tastes like Lindt but costs 1/4 the price.
- A number of readers had great things to say about the produce prices, especially when they go on sale. Comments about the quality of the produce were mixed, so I’m looking forward to seeing first hand what kind of value I can get for good quality produce.
In addition to testing out flowers, chocolate, and produce at Aldi, I know I need to be more disciplined in my next visit. Since the prices were much lower than other places I shop, I ended up buying way too many items!
A Successful Shopping Trip to Aldi
Before today, it had been over a year since I last shopped at Aldi. I love the store, but due to time constraints I have recently been visiting Pick ‘n Save for the majority of my grocery shopping. Pick ‘n Save is close to my house, and I can get everything in one trip. Plus, I like visiting Pick ‘n Save on Double Daze. I have always viewed Aldi as a nice place to supplement my more frequent shopping trips to Pick ‘n Save and Sendik’s.
I found myself driving by an Aldi store today and decided to stop in because I wanted to stock up on macaroni and cheese. Their macaroni and cheese tastes pretty good and I figured it would probably cost a little less than the brand we usually buy (Kraft). Sure enough, the Aldi brand was only $0.45 a box! I grabbed an empty box from the shelf (to avoid paying for a grocery bag) and loaded it up with seven boxes of macaroni and cheese. In retrospect, I should have bought more!
I also found a bunch of other great deals. Black beans and kidney beans were only $0.55 a can. I bought four of each because they’ll be great to have on hand for salsa and chili. I also bought a very large can of pinto beans for $0.99.
Just yesterday I paid over $3 for a bottle of ranch dressing at Pick ‘n Save. Today I paid $1.39 at Aldi. I will be interested to see what my family thinks of the quality of the Aldi dressing.
Last but not least, I paid $1.62 for a gallon of skim milk! I can’t recall the last time I found milk that cheap.
With the great deals I found today I am definitely heading back to Aldi again soon. It’s been so long since I have shopped there regularly so I need your help. What items do you recommend I buy at Aldi on my next trip? What items should I avoid?
Milwaukee Area Pumpkin Price Comparison List
From pumpkin patches to big box discount retailers like Walmart, there are so many places where you can buy pumpkins in the Milwaukee area. Prices for pumpkins are just as diverse! Pumpkins from large retailers are typically cheaper than those from pumpkin farms. Of course buying your pumpkin at Aldi doesn’t offer the same experience as buying it at a pumpkin patch. What kind of pumpkin buyer are you? Does the experience of a pumpkin patch justify the higher cost?
Here’s a list of prices we’ve seen at popular pumpkin patches and big-name retailers around town (note that prices may change and may vary from store to store within the same chain):
Aldi – $2.49 each
Apple Holler (Sturtevant) – $0.49 per pound
Basse’s Country Delight (Muskego) – Individually priced $1-$8 each
The Elegant Farmer – Priced by size, extra large pumpkins $12; large pumpkins $8; medium pumpkins $5
The Family Farm (Grafton) – $0.37 per pound
Pick ‘n Save – Large pumpkins $4.99; medium pumpkins $3.99; small pumpkins $2.99; mini-pumpkins 10 for $10
Prospect Hill (New Berlin) – $0.37 per pound
Sam’s Club – Jumbo pumpkins for $8.98
Swan’s Pumpkin Farm (Franksville) – $0.26 per pound
Steins – Three pumpkins for $10
Walgreens – Two large pumpkins for $7
Walmart – Large pumpkins for $2.49
You can also get some great deals on pumpkins from farmers that set up pumpkin stands on the side of the road. One of our Facebook followers, Peggy, shared a great deal that she found:
“I bought pumpkins out of a wagon cart on the corner of Good Hope and Town Hall Road. They are $2 each. Good deal and great pumpkins.”
Have you already bought your pumpkins? How much did you pay? Please leave a comment and let us know!
Related post: Milwaukee Brewers Pumpkin Carving Stencils
Two New Aldi Stores to Open in Metro Milwaukee
Doris Hajewski of JSOnline is reporting that two new Aldi stores will open soon in the Milwaukee area:
- Thursday, December 3rd a new Aldi opens in Grafton at 1120 N. Port Washington Road
- Thursday, December 10th a new Aldi opens in Wauwatosa at 12120 W. Burleigh Street
Aldi’s philosophy is to provide “incredible value every day.” To help fulfill this promise there are a few unique qualities about the stores. Aldi doesn’t hire people to bag your groceries or fetch carts in the parking lot. Customers need to deposit a quarter to get a cart and then receive their quarter back when the cart is returned. With private label brands, no coupons are necessary which saves shoppers time from dealing with coupon clipping. Also, no credit cards or personal checks are accepted at Aldi but cash, debit cards, and food stamps/EBT cards are accepted.
To learn more about Aldi or search for a location near you, visit their website or store locator.
